Friday, October 30, 2009

On the bus today, yes another bus story! I had begun to think that there would not be any more. What with Halloween coming up I thought they had all gone to the streets to pick up young girls in costumes. Apparently, not all of them have.

This update comes with two stories. One heartwarming and full of fuzzy feelings and the other filled with the usual creepy men and pick-up lines. I think I shall begin with the warm fuzzy one first, since that is the way it happened today.

This morning I hopped on the bus and I was on my first transfer to my other place of work. I had to drop off my availability and was dressed casually. No need to get all dressed up for the zoo when I had most of my day available to me to do some bus hopping, right? The bus is almost empty with maybe another person on the back riding and keeping to his or herself. The bus stops and suddenly this little kid appeared. He hops on, looks around, and spots me sitting all by myself. Apparently, this is not to be for he looked over his shoulder to make sure his dad was with him and he immediately walked over to me and literally hopped onto the seat next to mine. His dad, a little embarrassed that his little boy (I am guessing he w as around 6) had decided to take up the seat next to me instead of any of the other open and available seats. Unaware of his dad’s embarrassment the cute little boy quickly looks up with, stares for a moment, and then unleashes a killer smile. All white teeth complete with dimples; I was hooked. Leave it to the smallest rider on the bus to point out all the small things on and outside the bus. I ended up making it a game until the usual attention span of a boy his age ended and I had to come up with something else. I noticed his socks had a red car on it, the character from Cars. The name escapes me but I quietly ask him if he likes Cars. Then the boy was off like a…well, a racecar, spitting out the entire story line (just in case I had not seen the movie). He then turned to his dad and said, “My daddy got it for me.” Then “I love you, daddy.” Awww, moment. The dad promptly smiled and said, “I love you, too.” Same smile, I might add. After a while, his dad told him to be quiet, thinking his little boy was bothering me, but the little boy kept looking at me with a sly smile. He would brush up against me to get my attention, smile, and start giggling once I smiled back. I could not help it! I wanted to help the dad with his discipline, but the boy was just too cute! When they had to leave (sadness) the little boy hollered, “BYE! I Will MISS YOU!” then just as loudly to his dad, “She’s nice, Daddy. Can I see her again?”

AWWW I WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN TOO!

Story 2

After going to my other job and doing my stuff there, I hopped back onto the next bus to my favorite place in the world, the zoo! I am sitting there, minding my own business because I had decided not to look up every time someone hopped on and smile (See, I listen to the advice of others! Anyways…) I didn’t notice if this guy was already there when I sat down or if he hopped on the bus after me but what I do remember is the talking. At first, I thought he was on the phone or something so I tuned him out. I had no reason to suspect that he would be talking to ME! Well, apparently, he was and I think he noticed I was not talking back or responding to the things he was saying for the next thing that I know I have some guy whispering in my ear, “Can I ask you a question?”

To my credit, I did not jump.

“Um...sure?” I was a little unsure but I thought maybe he needed to know where the bus was headed or something like that and because I was the closest to him, he thought he could ask me. Makes sense, right?

“Can I get your number?” SERIOUSLY?! I turn to get a better look at him and I am met with watery black eyes and brown skin. Brown as in tan, I think he is Asian or a mixture of some kind.

“No.” I turned around, huddled closer into my corner, and tried to tune him out. Of course, I could not and he started apologizing repeatedly for asking the question. He leaned forward to whisper that he was sorry, I nodded, and he went back to talking to me…to himself…not sure. Thinking it was over a few minutes pass and he pressed forward again to say,

“I’m going to close my eyes, then, so I will stop staring at you. I can’t stop so I’m going to close my eyes.”

What the Hell? I nod and say, “That would be nice,” and crane my neck to see if my stop has miraculously changed places and that it was the next one and not the one a mile or so down the road. No such luck. Damn. So I wait and wait with the sick knowledge that there is the watery-eyed creep behind me staring (Or not staring, I am not going to look to find out), behind me. Needless to say, the muttering continued nothing I could honestly understand so I am not going to post my thoughts on what he was saying.

Monday, October 26, 2009

YES! It is official. I have moved everything into my new place. Sadly, once everything was unpacked and put away I was reminded by how little I have.

But there is a reason behind this topic and I'll not keep you waiting.
My landlord may have been struck by my charms and has come by to visit with me every day since I moved in. I know it's him when someone is knocking upon my door since I really don't know anyone yet.

He's a sweet old guy, though. How many times have I said THAT before? This time, however, I'm stuck. He's my neighbor and landlord. I think I'm safe, though, because he's really a sweet guy. He gives the lady across from me a ride to her hair appointments and grocery store because he doesn't want her walking. She's 80 and her name is Guatelupe (I'm sure I spelled that wrong), but we all affectionately call her Lupe.

My other neighbor is an old man with snow colored hair. The color I'd want my hair to be when I get old and senile.
Haven't met the other neighbors, yet. I'm the youngest, as I've been told. The only reason why I was even able to move here is because my old landlord knew the guy and they told him I was quiet and not likely to get into any sort of trouble.

Tom, my landlord, has told me this plenty of times. The day I moved in, the first time he came to visit me that night, he reminded me. First day, three visits, I was a little worried. Oh well. I'll keep you updated as best as I can.

My internet was supposed be turned on this wednesday but ATT screwed me adn it won't be available until next week. Oh well, I'm getting a free motem since they really screwed me over. Free motem taht woudl have cost me 100. NICE.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

I've always been a pretty observant person mainly because I enjoy making up little stories for each individual by how they are dressed, how they act, and basically the things they do and say.I think I'm quite accurate unless I'm in a strange mood and I have my characters somehow mingling together among ponies and flappers.

Don't ask. You had to be there, sorry.

I realized today that a smile was the key to all my problems on the bus. And this troubles me.

Are we so jaded that a smile can only mean that a girl is interested in you? Could it be too hard to imagine that the girl is just happy to be alive and working that morning and wants to spread a little joy?Is it so hard to believe that no intentions are meant behind that smile except for the small hope of getting one in return?

It really really saddened me, people. I thought maybe, just maybe, I was wrong. Today's observations did not disprove my 'theory'.

Obviously the women who boarded the bus smiled in return for there was a small chance a young girl (me) would be coming on to them with a smile. But all the men, young and old, gave me a funny look at first and then continued to stare at me the whole duration of the bus ride. Some of them tried to strike up a conversation, which I didn't mind too much, but they all ended up down the same road, "You got a man?" Or "What does your boyfriend have to say about you riding the bus all by yourself?" or "Can I getchernumbah?"

You'll have to trust me on this that they were all pretty damn flirtatious with me. Instead of flattering I thought it was really sad.

I don't want to stop smiling :( I guess I was just brought up to be friendly and you do that with a smile. I think it's rude to avoid eye contact and frown. Or if someone enters the room you should acknowledge their presence.

Friday, October 16, 2009

So yeah, what would I usually be doing on this special day. Well, one thing for sure is this: I'd be going out to eat with my mom and probably Dawn (sister); visiting Logan, Lyndsay, and Manlee; Probably had lunch with Linda xD; and FOR SURE NOT WORKING!!

What did I end up doing? I woke up at 5:45am and hopped on the bus at 7:00 to be to work at 8:30am. Did a program where the snake was NOT happy to be out among the developementally challenged children. Pine Snakes...grr. Mr. Wiggly Worm is what I shall call him. Oh, and striker mc. strikey fits as well :)

Then I hopped on the bus, had McDonalds at the transfer (I wait 1 hour here), and called my other job to get my hours, got home, took a bath, and Passed Out.

Actually, I have no real complaints about this since thi is my usual day. If I didn't love my job I wouldn't be here and I would have had the lunch, dinner, and companionship.

Thankfully I am blessed to have my old roommate and she is taking me shopping. She has had a bad week so I hope we can keep each other company on this chilly day.

I am sorry that I cannot give you a funny story today. Perhaps something will happen tonight!? Or Tomorrow at the renaissance festival! If not I'll just make something up :)

Edit:

I fell on the escalator and busted my knee. WHO DOES THAT?!?!

BUT...it was after shopping for and getting a new pair of jeans! It was paid for, mostly, by my dear friend here in MO. Thank you!!I also have new dishes!! SO CUTE!! I got 4 plates, bowls, and desert plates, silverware, plastic big spoons for stirring hot stuff (is there a name for these?), a tea pot, a pan, and a steamer for 13.33!! I love the Salvation Army. Now all I need are cups :) and my kitchen is almost kinda complete-ish.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Eric Brende: Better OffNathaniel Hawthorne: Scarlet LetterThe books listed below were found so I could read something like Juliet Marrillier's epic books! I was not disappointed with my findings :)

Jules Watson :White Mare and Dawn Stag--GREAT BOOKS!! Kind of slow at first but they really pick up and then suddenly...they're done. It's almost sad :(Jacqueline Carey: Kusheil's Dart, Kusheil's Chosen, Kusheil's Avatar...etc. Her books are edgy and not for someone who is sensitive to what they read. There is a lot of war, love, and ugly things about the world. I have only read the first one but I plan on reading the others. I have to know what happens to Phedre!! If anything does (I haven't finished it) But I absolutely enjoyed the plot twists and the dangers in this book!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

You may not know this, but this is one epic pick-up line. Men of all ages approach me, out of many and ask me this question. Wanna know how I know its a pick-up line? Cause after I tell them they start to ask about my personal life. Not the, "So you don't have a car either, huh?" No it's straight to the point, "Ya gotta man?"

Honestly, I have to give these people credit. They are pretty straight forward.

Today was no exception. His name is Ray.

He starts off with the usual, "What time does the 24 come in?" I tell him that it pulls out every hour on the hour so it should be here about 10 mintues beforehand. Thinking we're done I go back to the book I'm reading, trying my best to think of warm things since I'm freezing my butt off.Suddenly I hear, "You're really pretty." I mumble a thanks but I guess he didn't hear because next thing I know he's sitting next to me and he not only repeats himself but says, "I told you you're pretty, don't I get a thank you?"

I have to admit, he has my attention. I close my book and look up at him. "I did, I said thank you."

He then proceeds to talk to me about where he's going and asking me about routes. I really have no idea about it and I tell him this. He then smiles at me and asks if he can sit next to me on the bus. I POLITELY tell him "no".

Once the bus pulls up I hop to my feet and walk there, Ray following close behind and still talking. Usually I have patience but I was cold and tired and knew I had a long day of bus-riding to do.

He then began to annoy the bus driver with directions since he really didn't know where he was going. He looked at me and asked me where I was going.

To my surprise I found myself replying, "The Zoo." He smiled, "Can I go with you?" The bus driver, to his credit, hid his smile before Ray could see it."No""Oh, what about dinner some time?""No.""I work, make a lot of money. Almost made it into the KC Royals"(KC Royals is the baseball team...I think)"Almost."

The bus driver isn't even trying to hide his smile now as he gains the attention of Ray with a polite question about where exactly he is going...other than the zoo.

Needless to say they figured it out and Ray talked to me the entire time until I hopped off.

Just to put this on the record, I would have been a tid bit more interested if1. I was attracted2. I was warm and comfortable

Friday, October 9, 2009

Edit: I got my names confused!! Sorry! That's what I get for making them up to protect their identities.

Most of you know of my ability to attract old men. In fact I hold true to the belief that if he hasn't been introduced to me then he'll probably either Hate me or Like me too much. Here is one story that sticks out from the others.

For sake of privacy I'll leave out any real names other than my own!

I'll entitle this story: Cowboy Busdriver

Background:Where work, for a time, we had to work with a lot of bus drivers. I ended up working a bit closer with them because of the job I chose. I mainly did it because I felt it was a lower-stressed part of the job and I could get to know my co-worker better since we were the only ones out there for a time. Waiting for the bus drivers to park we'd talk a lot but once that bright yellow vehicle came roaring towards us we were all business!Over the month or two you start to get to know the bus drivers, one in particular, made himself known to me. He even spoke to my co-worker (lets name him Hank) about me and when I'd returned after a lunch break Hank told me there was a bus driver asking about me. I didn't believe him at first. I didn't think I was really worth remembering, to be honest. I was just doing my job. After much convincing I asked where the bus was and he pointed me in the right direction.Once I saw the bright white cowboy hat I smiled upon recognition. The most memorable and recognizeable bus driver (I will call him Ted)! Walking up to the bus I hollered up to him asking if it was him who'd asked to see me! It was. He and I talked, he had a horse and we talked about that. I freely admitted to knowing nothing about horses. He seemed like a sweet old guy. He actually told me about a job opening up as a bus aid. It would have benefits!

Long story short we exchanged numbers so he could keep me up to date about the job openings.

He called me every once in a while to chat. I chalked it up to lonely old man syndrom. I even talked to Hank about it and he told me the guy was harmless. You see, I'd already had some run-ins with older men liking me. But with the assurance of my friend backing me up I didn't see any problem continuing the friendship with the old guy.

Plus Ted was always telling me "You gotta be a friend to have a friend" so when he invited me to dinner I was a little worried but I told myself he was just a friend and that everything would be OK.

Can you guess where this went?

ON the way to the restaurant he told me how beautiful I was and that any guy my age who didn't return such feelings, for I'd told him about a crush I had, was stupid. He then proceeded to proposition himself to me. This is how the conversation went, as best as I can remember it:

Ted: You are a beautiful girl...Me: (a little uncomfortable) Thank you.Ted: And we're friends, right? I'd like to think we are.Me: Of course! (I felt a little better now)Ted: But, you are a beautiful lady and if you ever wanted to be more than friends, well, I have to tell you, I'd be open to it.

At this point my heart sunk to my stomach. Oh Hell.

I told him that I wasn't open to it

He expressed concern that he'd ruined our friendship because of what he'd said. I, wanting to go home, told him that we were still friends. Basically I said this because I wanted to make sure he woudln't leave me stranded. I had no idea where we were!

When he dropped me off he asked me if he could see me again. Safe in the knowledge that i was home safe I turned to him and we had a little talk:

Ted: I'd hate it if I ruined our friendship. You are a very beautiful young woman and...Me: How old are you? (I had cut him off)Ted: Well, I know I'm a bit older than you--Me: Well, how old are you? You know how old I am.Ted: I turned 70 this year, But--Me: My grandpa is 70. You're old enough to be my grandpa. And that story you told me about driving to California in 58, all by yourself. My mom was born that year.Ted: We are still friends, though. Right?Me: Ted, I'm sorry, but the moment you thought we could be more than friends we could no longer be friends. Have a good night.

I hopped out of the truck and walked in the house, making sure to lock the door behind me.

Alright, so if any of you have EVER ridden on a public bus before you will probably feel my pain. Espeically if you're female and breathing. Really, it seems like that's all you have to be in order to attract the most attention. I'm sure it helps if you're young...

Anyways, story 1:

I was late, again, but it wasn't MY fault! It was because of this particular bus lady. She always left 5 minutes late and that meant I would miss my transfer, again. So I had already called and reported her (again) but as per usual I felt that my complaint was falling onto a desk of other complaints against other bus drivers. All destined for some paper shredder or perhaps a good laugh. I do not know. But that's not important.

It seemed the woman was in rare form that day for when a mom with a baby in a sling (the hand-free carrying device that reminds me of old-school pictures of the women in the fields forced to carry the burden of plant life on top of human life). Apparently it's all the rage. She also had a 18 month old in a stroller, the sweet little boy was fast alseep sure in the knowlege that mama bear would protect him from any harm.

The bus lady decided to not allow the mom with two kids to stay in the handi-capped area.

There was a gentleman waiting to get on in a wheel chair but there are two designated spots for such cases. The woman with the stroller was told to keep going to the back of the bus and angle the stroller towards the back door.

If any of you have seen a big bus you know about the second door, added for the ease of the people in the back of the bus to get off quicker. Now, from how the bus driver told the woman carrying the baby, she'd have to not only stand for the remainder of the ride but also have her child in the stroller facing the door to the outside.

Adults aren't even allowed to stand near these doors for they aren't really locked. If need be you could push really hard to get them open. Thus, this was not an entirely safe option.

So this called chaos between the mama and the driver. They continued to argue as the lady left the bus station, late again. It got so bad that multiple people got involved and soon the bus lady told the mama that she could go ahead and call her supervisor.

She did.

That meant the bus had to come to a COMPLETE stop so the bus driver could wait for the supervisor to come and solve the problem. Great. Even later than before we were forced to wait for an hour.

A waiting bus could only mean one thing to one of the young fellas on the bus: Love Connection.

He sat in the empty seat behind me and proceeded to talk to me. Now, I'm already a little agitated about the wait but I know that he's probably bored and I don't want to be rude so I carry on a conversation with him. I found out his baby's mama's name is Amanda. I hold back the comment about the ease of remembering my name, then. He tells me he's 22 and going off to a friend's house to collect on money his friend owes him. The rest is the best:

Boy: You gonna call your boyfriend to let him know you're gonna be late?Me: I'm on my way to work.Boy: Yeah, but ain't ya gonna call your boyfriend to let him know where you is?Me: Why would I do that? I'm on my way to work.Boy: Yeah, but you ain't gonna call him?

Of course I knew what he was trying to find out about me so I sighed, loudly, and smiled while praying for patience and the grace to humor him.

Me: You could just ask me if I have a boyfriend. The answer is No, I do not. But if I did I would still not call him over something like this. Cause if I'm on the bus that would mean he didn't have a car and there would be little he could do for me other than say 'aww, I'm sorry.'

After a pause (I could see the gears in his head cranking)

Boy: You're lookin' pretty good, today.Me: I'm in my work clothes...(look of disbelief on my face)Boy: Well, some women look good in their work clothes.Me: Only cause we're going to make money, I'm sure.Boy: So you's gonna be like that, right? Kinda cold.Me: I'm sorry (not really), I didn't mean to be cold. I was just telling you why I believed some men think women look good in work clothes.

My bus starts to move and we talk about stuff and finally my stop comes up. Before I can move he holds up his phone.

Boy: You wanna put your number in this phone? (He holds up his phone)Me: NoBoy: Can I give you mine?Me: No, I dont' take or give numbers on the bus. Sorry. Bye.

Hey all! This is the start of my new blog.I've had a lot of things happen to me ever since I moved from home and started out on my own in Kansas City, Missouri. Some of them are quite funny and I've decided to document them here so that you may enjoy them as well.

OF course it would take a long time for me to bring you up to speed on some of the many things that has happened to me so I think I'll spread it out through a couple of posts. That way if one in particular interests you it will be easy for you to find it over and over again. Like that idea?